Building Relationships and Friendships in Sales

Having contacted your prospect and arranged a meeting to discuss what you might be able to do for him, you need to connect with him on a personal level. Clients purchase from people they know, like and trust, so to help you here are a few thoughts to focus upon:

Show that you are genuinely interested in your prospect as a person by asking about his welfare, family and non-work issues.

Practice activelistening, where you demonstrate your attention and interest by questioning and feeding back his comments rather than thinking about what you’re going to say next while he’s still talking!

Slow down your eagerness to win the deal, as this might feel predatory to your prospect. Instead, demonstrate that his time frame and speed works for you.

Always think of the bigger picture and find ways to help now, possibly by sharing useful business contact information. When a friendship is created, the long-term rewards are far greater.

By viewing your career as a series of constant meetings with friends, you shift your energy from hunter to colleague, and the client in turn sees you as a valued provider, not a predator. As you constantly work to genuinely attain the win-win scenario, you elevate your reputation and income and truly are on your way to your aspired-for success.